Burns: Suns-Spurs to meet at the top of the hill

"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?"

-William Shakespeare

Once again, the bully and his rival head towards the big hill in the park outside the school. There's going to be a fight at the top of that hill and the whole school is coming out to watch. The two have fought many times; the bully has never lost. The bully has left physical scars, emotional scars. They say time heals all wounds. They're wrong. And yet the rival still heads to the top of the hill with not a shred of fear. He knows he can't change what has happened in the past. But the only way to set his course for the future…….is to beat the bully.

The Suns and the Spurs will meet at the top of that hill on Monday night and the sense of anticipation is almost child-like. Remember how you felt on Christmas Eve when you were so amped up about what the next day was going to bring it was impossible to sleep? The morning couldn't come fast enough. Now, Monday night can't come fast enough. Beat the bully.

In a series like this you want to separate what you feel and what you know. What you know is that beating the Spurs erases none of what happened in the past. What happened, happened (right Lost fans?). It won't change Joe Johnson's broken face. Won't change Amar'e Stoudemire's momentary lapse of reason. Won't change David Stern's letter of the law. Won't change Timmy's lucky three. You know that if the Suns do beat the Spurs, they can simply point to their banners and polish their trophies. And they're right; they were better.

But then there is what you feel, and wouldn't it feel oh-so-good to beat the bully? Just once, bloody his nose and send him running off the hill. You bet it would. Like Shakespeare wrote in the Merchant of Venice, our desire for revenge is a natural instinct that simply cannot be denied.

I know that another loss to the Spurs might shipwreck our collective psyche. I know that this isn't the best matchup for the Suns. But at this point I don't give a damn. See you at the top of the hill right after school.